CPM plans tit for tat

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Jan. 17: In an apparent attempt to take revenge from the Congress leaders who did not cooperate during the tabling of the English Bazaar panchayat samiti budget, the CPI-M leaders are planning to oppose the annual budget of the Malda zilla parishad that would be tabled in February.It may be recalled that last year also, the Congress-led zilla parishad faced difficulties in passing the annual action plan and budget owing to protests by the CPI-M led Opposition leaders of the rural body. The Opposition leaders had raised some objections, citing the Panchayat Act, making it difficult for the Congress-led board to prepare the budget and the annual action plan. The budget was at last passed after the intervention of chief minister Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and the panchayat and rural development minister Mr Surya Kanta Misra. This year, however, the CPI-M-led Opposition of the MZP is determined not to cooperate with the Congress leaders during the tabling of the budget. It was learnt that the MZP would place the draft budget in the third week of January and call a general meeting to pass the budget, for which a majority of 50 per cent is mandatory. Interestingly, the CPI-M led English Bazaar panchayat samiti board has no majority. On the other hand, the Congress-led MZP may also face problem to prove majority based on its present members' ratio. The Congress office bearer of MZP, Mr Soumitra Roy, said: "At present we have 31 members out of 62. However, at the time of the meeting, we would be able to increase the number to 33, as two more leaders have promised to support us." The panchayat and rural development minister, Mr Surya Kanta Mishra, would hold a meeting here tomorrow and also review the performance of the Malda zilla parishad.